Eden | former 7♦

[likemarilynsaid]

Character Name: Felicia Eden Harper (call her Eden, darling)
Age: 28
Suit/Rank: 7♦
History: Felicia Eden Harper was born Sept. 29th, 1984 in the Fort Myer VA Hospital to Maj. James E. Harper and Mrs. Dolores Richmond Harper. An only child and army brat, she grew up hopping from base to base following her father's orders. By the time she was ten, Felicia had seen twelve different countries and lived in nine of them. Unlike most children her age, she felt no desire to stay in one place for too long, always looking forward to the next location. It was never very hard for the bubbly, outgoing young girl to make new friends, after all, even if she never kept the old ones once they were gone.

Though her parents loved her dearly, they were both often very busy, without much time to spend with their incredibly active daughter. James was promoted to LTC shortly after her sixth birthday, leaving him busier than ever, and Dolores had always been quite the socialite; between entertaining and throwing parties and dinners for only the brightest and most fascinating of company, she never seemed to find time to spend with Felicia. As a result, she was raised more by a horde of on-base adults: mess cooks, PFCs, janitors and supply sergeants. It was hard not to take a liking to the charming and precocious young girl, with her mess of blonde curls and laughing blue-green eyes.

At age 8, an on-base viewing of Casablanca introduced Felicity to the world of the Hollywood starlets, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart's star-crossed love story stealing her heart away. She developed quite the love for the classics, Bergman leading to Garbo, Lake, and Dietrich and all the resultant drama and fashionable eveningwear. Playing dress-up in her mother's closet, she'd mimic the silver-screen queens, reenacting her favorite scenes with anyone who'd play along. Other children weren't always as receptive to these games, but she would always find a few willing to be charmed away from New Kids on the Block or their Nintendos to play A Foreign Affair or Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Twelve was the year that her life changed forever. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes introduced her to Marilyn Monroe, who was everything Felicia had ever wanted to be. Learning that she'd changed her name once becoming a star, Felicia began insisting everyone call her by her middle name, Eden. This stuck for years, even her mother beginning to forget that she had another name as Eden delved further and further into the world of fashion. She'd always liked playing dress-up, but turned to sewing more and more as she got older. Dolores' mother had been quite the milliner in her day, and the sewing things that had gone unused by her were eagerly taken up by her daughter as she began making her own wardrobe.

The summer before she turned 14, her father was reassigned to the diplomatic corps, taking the entire family overseas to England. Eden finished school there, gaining a reputation as something of a costuming genius in all sorts of theatre productions. The more elaborate the show, the better, and she thrived on large ensemble casts and deadlines. She also thrived on the attention, and gained a secondary sort of reputation as a huge tease, flirting with anything and everything that moved. Actual facts about her relationships were rather hard to come by, though, and the young lady herself far too good at deflecting all inquiries. She left school at 17 with a degree in hand, ready to pursue her designs elsewhere.

Boston was the place she chose for this, attending MassArt for a degree in Fashion Design. A bad experience with a horrible roommate her first semester, however, left her putting out a classified ad in the local papers looking for a roommate. Optimistic to a fault, her expectations didn't let her down; the gorgeous Asian beauty of undefined gender that answered her ad was everything Eden had been looking for. Bobbi Xiou was a psychology major over at another local school, but never once objected to modeling Eden's work, quickly becoming her muse. Eden never pushed hir on hir true gender or preferences, and Bobbi never questioned her many one-night-stands and outlandish ideas, and both shared a love for classic chick flicks and ice cream. The two were close for those four years, best friends who were nearly inseparable despite maintaining their own outward circles at their respective schools. But all good things must come to an end, and when Eden left Boston at 21 to pursue a career in couture, her old bad habits kicked back in and she and Bobbi quickly lost touch.

The next two years were a whirlwind of activity. After a series of internships, Eden lucked out with a place as a handbag designer at a small NYC fashion house, which quickly blossomed into more, as several of her eveningwear designs were featured in her house's lineup during Fashion Week. This gained her the attention of several off-Broadway directors, and her costumes for Cabaret and Anything Goes soon gave her career as a designer just the boost it needed. Her first successful runway show took place in London the spring after she turned 23, and both parents were in attendance to see their daughter's work. The show was a hit, but Eden was already thinking of the next one; there had been rumors, at a party, of a place with a scene like no other. Rumors at one party led to rumors of another, which led to whispers from a friend of a friend of a friend about a place maybe she could learn something new, something no one had ever seen before that would break the fashion scene wide open.

The Deck was nothing quite like it had been rumored, of course. In fact, it was much like Outside, a bit quieter perhaps, but not at all the fashion mecca she'd been promised. Still, it had its charms, and she quickly fell in love with the Town and Castles. Her chosen Suit was, of course, Diamonds, and after charming the pants off several people she entered the Deck as a 3♦. Not a fan of hard work but still willing to do whatever she had to to climb the ladder, she worked as a salesgirl in a small clothing boutique in Town until the opportunity came to do something more. A sales contest to see who could make the most in commissions gained her both a new position and a new rank of 4♦, and a counter-challenge of the same produced the same results of the first; she celebrated her 25th birthday as a 5♦ after a runway walk-off versus the lead salesgirl of a rival boutique. Her turn on the catwalk was quite impressive, as was her outfit, one of her own creations, and the first of which she'd worn since arriving on Deck. Eden's dressing of friends plus her own gown from her challenge began drawing some small amount of notice; aside from her work as a tailor, she also started taking commissions for eveningwear and one-offs. This led to her challenge for 6♦ two years later, finally leaving the boutique behind to pursue her own work after designing and producing the costumes for the theatre troupe's production of Romeo and Juliet.

The rank of 7♦ wasn't something Eden had really planned on. She enjoyed her work costuming with the troupe, and making pieces of her own to send Outside; she was happy living in her studio, playing dress-up and watching old movies. She still spoke to her parents, who were under the impression that their daughter was always traveling, and had long ago given up on the idea of grandchildren (or of seeing their only child for more than a weekend at a time). So when a friendly discussion one night after several glasses of wine turned into friendly competition, and finally a not-so-friendly disagreement, a Challenge just seemed like the logical choice. The challenge itself? Music, one piece to be performed before an audience of all four suits, the applause determining a winner. No one expected much from Eden, always bright and charming but so very focused on the fashion. Maybe that's how she won, her rendition of Gentleman Who Fell bringing down the house. The counter-challenge, an encore with randomly selected song immediately after, she also swept with 'Satellite of Love' by Lou Reed. Eight months later, she still wasn't quite sure how it happened, but she didn't complain; the rank gave her the authority she needed to wrangle suit members whose wardrobes didn't quite pass muster and sweet-talk them into better-coordinated outfits.

Five years after entering the Deck, Eden started getting itchy feet. She missed London, missed her parents, and recent events on Deck were just a little more than she signed on for. So she left, did a lot of traveling, spending the majority of her time on the road looking for inspiration, and when she wasn't out and about she spent time in her London studio flat, surrounded by open windows, bolts of fabric, and loud music. The change in scenery paid off in a contract and a new opportunity to launch a new line in collaboration with one of London's hottest boutiques.

After the debut, though, Eden found herself missing the Deck, and her little apartment there. She missed everyone she'd grown accustomed to seeing, and while she'd made more of an effort to keep in touch than she ever had before, she'd still fallen off with almost all of them. So she closed up her flat again, and headed back to the Deck and the friends she'd left behind.

Personality: Eden is one big ball of sunshine and laughter. Everyone is her friend and the world is her oyster, and the sheer joy and exuberance in her face is hard to deny. She's incredibly animated, always moving, her body language speaking for her just as much as her voice--which is saying something, since she's kind of a chatterbox. Her speaking habits are a little peculiar; accent lying somewhere between midwest American, London chav, and the old film stars she loves so much. Everyone is 'darling' or 'sweetheart' or ''princess' to her, and she's quick to be familiar with total strangers in an unoffensive sort of way. she won't touch someone who's obviously uncomfortable with it, but she tries hard to make people comfortable around her. She loves being the center of attention; part only child syndrome, part her obsession with movies and theater. She also flirts with anything on legs, regardless of gender. It's more or less how she feels people out, seeing past their usual reservations and getting glimmers of their true personality. It's one of the reasons she's so very good at her job, after all. She's also very charismatic, and smart enough to use her good looks and friendly mannerisms to charm the pants off anyone she meets.

It's true she can often come off as a little shallow and focused on appearances; she is a fashion designer, after all, and appearance is her profession. Even in her personal opinions, the most passionate seem to be about things like scones and cafes and the latest designs from Milan. Ask a deep question about her innermost thoughts and feelings, and you'll hardly notice when suddenly the conversation is about that movie you all went to go see the other night, and wouldn't it be lovely if we all had a bonfire on the Green? This isn't because she doesn't have those deep-seated thoughts and feelings, really. While Eden has never been the overly-angsty, philosophical type, she's got thoughts and opinions aplenty. She just prefers to listen to others rather than voice them. Deep conversations on volatile topics tend to lead towards confrontation, and she'd much rather everyone get along.

She's not without her contradictions, though; if backed into a corner she'll lash out, despite abhorring conflict. Enthusiastic at the start of every new venture, she gets bored easily and is always looking for a new one. Her good moods seem to last for weeks and weeks, but a small set-back can send her plummeting into brief bouts of stormclouds and despair. These usually don't last long, however, her natural optimism winning through, and a good cry usually sorts anything out.

As a friend, Eden is the best anyone could ask for. She's incredibly generous and will drop things at a moment's notice to be with a friend in need, offering hugs, a shoulder, an adventure, a shopping spree, whatever helps the most. She's outgoing and loves being around people, and has an innate sense of how to bring even the shyest out of their shells. As a lover, she's an adventure, though her actual exploits aren't anywhere near in number to those she's rumored to have had. She's a serial flirter, and has trouble committing to any one person; the closeness many seek with a significant other she usually finds with her best friend, and therefore tends to date for fun and not for the future.

All in all: flirty, fun, dramatic, charming, perceptive, flighty, self-indulgent, a little spoiled but full of love.

Since leaving the Deck, Eden's a little more calm and focused. She's still cheery, still flirty, but her experiences have left her feeling that there's so much more to life than we know, and all she has to do is reach out and find it. Someone who can keep up with her is the holy grail; after so many years with nothing but acquaintances, she misses having a best friend. Somewhere inside maybe there's a little worry about her rapidly approaching thirties, and maybe she's reconsidering letting someone stay for more than just a night.


Appearance: Eden is a very lithe, long-limbed 5'8" who always seems to be posed for photographs. Impeccably dressed at all times, she wouldn't be caught dead looking anything but her very best. Her hair is a dark blonde mess of curls, and her eyes are a vibrant blue-green that's usually highlighted by subtle eyeliner and mascara. She's a big fan of the 'less is more' principle when it comes to makeup, unless it's for a show. Incredibly animated and lively, her face is expressive and usually smiling or laughing. Her ears are pierced twice, though the second holes are rarely filled, and she's got a small tattoo on her right hip--the black was done during college, one drunken night with Bobbi (who has a matching one on her left hip); the red diamond is a more recent addition, she and Bobbi both adding it to their previous tattoo when reuniting for the first time On-Deck.

Character PB: Milla Jovovich
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